NFL QB'S & THEIR BAD BEHAVIOR, V. JAX SUSPENDED, NOTES FROM THE ROOKIE SYMPOSIUM & THE CUNNINGHAM TRAGEDY
In another example of a really stupid decision, Titans 3rd string QB Chris Simms, was busted this morning for driving under the influence of marijuana. For a guy who's NFL future is hanging by a thread, Simms found a way to make that thread even slimmer. Pot smoking is hardly attempted murder, but driving while impaired can become murder & it's as irresponsible as it gets. He is the 2nd Tennessee quarterback to be arrested in June, starter Vince Young was charged for battery recently after a throw-down in a strip bar. Anyone ever hear of anything positive coming from an NFLer visiting a strip bar? The league is having a bad run currently with their quarterbacks, Vick, Roethlisberger, Mark Brunnell($54 million in salary, now bankrupt), Young & now Simms. Authorities from the Feds on down are now looking at the Michael Vick birthday party & shooting. First he & his lawyer claimed he was "long gone way before the shooting occurred." Video from the club's surveillance system has Vick getting in the car 3 minutes before the shooting. The shots came from the direction of Vick's car & entourage. His federal parole officer is looking into the evening's activities as are the NFL & the Virginia beach police. How long can the league allow this guy to be a distraction all the while thumbing his nose at everyone he's made promises to, he is not likely to change. Jason Whitlock, of The Kansas City Star, wrote a great piece about Vick for FOXSports today which I highly recommend. Click the link to go there www.msn.foxsports.com/nfl to read it. Vince Young may very soon have a face-to-face with Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding his fisticuffs in stripperville. The man is direct negotiations with NFLPA President DeMaurice Smith in an effort to avert a lockout & work stoppage before the 2011 season, but he is constantly being interrupted by the bad behavior contingent of league employees. Also making a brilliant decision was the Detroit Lions' President, Tom Lewand, who was arrested & charged Saturday night for DUI. He told the police officer who pulled him over he was the designated driver for his carload of drunks. He told the officer he was the president of the Lions & yet the officer still insisted on a field sobriety test. Lewand failed miserable & was ordered to submit to a breathalizer test. He blew a .235 blood alcohol level, significantly more than the .080 that is allowed by Michigan law. Bengals RB Cedric Benson was charged Monday for an incident that occurred on May 30th in Austin. This is his third strike after a DUI & a BWI(boating while intoxicated). He became unruly in a downtown bar & after shoving an employee, he was escorted out the front door where, after uttering a racial remark, he is alleged to have punched another employee. Nothing but bad behavior & it's only getting worse.
In other bad behavior news, Charger starting wide receiver Vincent Jackson was suspended this morning for the first three games of the regular season for two DUI's he plead guilty to in the last 6-months. He was also ticketed for driving on a suspended license. Jackson is a restricted free agent who hasn't signed his tender offer, demanding a new contract or a trade. There are said to be 3 teams interested in Jax, the Redskins, Bears & Seahawks. One of them inquired to the league office as to the chances a suspension was pending before they began talks with Charger GM A.J. Smith. The league told that team on Monday "a decision on Jackson is imminent" & announced the suspension this morning. The Chargers have shown a propensity to start the season slowly & with Jax suspended, left tackle Marcus McNeill holding out, NT Jamal Williams gone to Denver as a free agent & CB Antonio Cromartie traded to the Jets, a slow start is a possibility. Fortunately for San Diego, their 1st 3 games are K.C., Jacksonville & Seattle.
So what does the league do to prevent these troubles? Every season they shell out a small fortune for the rookie symposium. The 4-day mandatory meetings cover a number of issues that can become trouble for NFL players. Unfortunately, it doesn't register with some, like Ben Roethlisberger, Michael Vick etc etc etc. They discuss performance enhancing drugs, gambling, personal conduct, money management & financial planning, drug abuse, sexual health & the league's punishment structure, all in great detail. There are those who either slept thru the entire 4-days or are so arrogant & entitled, they're above the rules the masses must adhere to. Current & former players give speeches & often are quite blunt. Future NFL Hall of Fame candidate Cris Carter gave a very pointed speech Saturday. He said "when you go back home after your first season, yer boyz always say 'you've changed man.' Let me tell you, you better change, because if you stay that guy from the streets, you're headed for a lot of trouble. You have to keep your old friends in check at all times. They can get you in trouble or bleed you of a lot of your money." He also told them they have to watch out for people handling their money. He made it clear how important it is to watch the guy(s) who are handling your money. Mark Brunell is a perfect example, $54 million blown over the course of 15 years. It's tragic what is intended to help is ignored by the people who need it most.
Also from the police blotter, University of Georgia Athletic Director Damon Lewis was charged with DUI after a traffic stop last night. His BMW was seen weaving all over the road & police said Lewis had slurred speech & smelled of alcohol. He flunked a field sobriety test & refused a breathalyzer, so he was arrested. The University runs a PSA on the scoreboard during all home games urging fans not to drink & drive & to use a designated driver. The spokesperson on the ads? None other than athletic director Damon Lewis. Oops.
According to College Football Talk's John Taylor, USC running backs coach Todd McNair is no longer employed by the University. His contract, that expired on June 30th, wasn't renewed. So the only coach named in the NCAA's 67-page report regarding Reggie Bush & basketballer O.J. Mayo is no longer a Trojan. Now it's time for A.D. Mike Garrett to go as well.
As I said earlier, Roger Goodell & DeMaurice Smith have had face-to-face negotiations regarding a new collective bargaining agreement. They have stated they are striving for a 6-year pact to run thru the 2016 season. They started with the commissioner's proposed 18-game regular season. The 2 extra games represent 1/8 of a season, but don't look for an addition of just 2 game checks, it's going to have to be more than that. The expanded season would strain the stamina of even the best conditioned athletes, it's just not fair in my eyes. There are too many ex-players who can barely put one foot in front of the other day to day. Others have suffered mightily from head trauma, NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey has such extreme dementia, he hasn't spoken for 4 years. There are over 50 ex-players who suffer from dementia. Until recently the league refused to pay any additional benefits to these players because they claimed dementia could not be linked to brain trauma sustained playing football. I'm a free market guy, but there are certain occupations that can cause workers to suffer or die because of their job & it has to be examined & prevented where possible. Ignoring the results or pretending their employment had nothing to do with their suffering or death is wrong at so many levels. This is where business & their lawyers compound the problem. The NFL is the biggest cash cow in professional sports, something has to be done to protect it's most important employees. I've received a lot of feedback on the Conrad Doble piece & the concussion issue. I plan to incorporate much of this feedback along with my response within a week.
I met former Eagle & Viking quarterback Randall Cunningham outside a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in Las Vegas one Saturday morning about 5AM. He exited his Hummer as I was walking out the door. I smiled & said something like "morning Randall." He walked right past the door over to my truck, extended his hand & said "good morning to you too, hope you have a great day." I said thanks, he pivoted towards the door & as I watched him grab the handle, he looked over his shoulder at me & gave me a smile & a wave. I'd heard from people in Vegas he was one of the nicest citizens living in Sin City. After my 20-second encounter, I agreed with them wholeheartedly. He made Las Vegas his home ever since he played at UNLV in the early 80's & like so many of the city's celebrity inhabitants, he ran errands, went shopping & dined out, just like everybody else. Cunningham owns a tile business out there, was the offensive coordinator at Silverado High School & an ordained minister. Yesterday he faced the toughest test of his life, his 2-year old son, Christian, drowned in the family hot tub. His nanny was watching the children in the pool & said she turned her head for just a couple of minutes before seeing the child floating in the hot tub. Fire rescue arrived but the child couldn't be revived. It's obvious his faith is strong, he'll need it. Losing a child is the worst thing a parent can face, keep the Cunningham family in your thoughts & prayers.
In other bad behavior news, Charger starting wide receiver Vincent Jackson was suspended this morning for the first three games of the regular season for two DUI's he plead guilty to in the last 6-months. He was also ticketed for driving on a suspended license. Jackson is a restricted free agent who hasn't signed his tender offer, demanding a new contract or a trade. There are said to be 3 teams interested in Jax, the Redskins, Bears & Seahawks. One of them inquired to the league office as to the chances a suspension was pending before they began talks with Charger GM A.J. Smith. The league told that team on Monday "a decision on Jackson is imminent" & announced the suspension this morning. The Chargers have shown a propensity to start the season slowly & with Jax suspended, left tackle Marcus McNeill holding out, NT Jamal Williams gone to Denver as a free agent & CB Antonio Cromartie traded to the Jets, a slow start is a possibility. Fortunately for San Diego, their 1st 3 games are K.C., Jacksonville & Seattle.
So what does the league do to prevent these troubles? Every season they shell out a small fortune for the rookie symposium. The 4-day mandatory meetings cover a number of issues that can become trouble for NFL players. Unfortunately, it doesn't register with some, like Ben Roethlisberger, Michael Vick etc etc etc. They discuss performance enhancing drugs, gambling, personal conduct, money management & financial planning, drug abuse, sexual health & the league's punishment structure, all in great detail. There are those who either slept thru the entire 4-days or are so arrogant & entitled, they're above the rules the masses must adhere to. Current & former players give speeches & often are quite blunt. Future NFL Hall of Fame candidate Cris Carter gave a very pointed speech Saturday. He said "when you go back home after your first season, yer boyz always say 'you've changed man.' Let me tell you, you better change, because if you stay that guy from the streets, you're headed for a lot of trouble. You have to keep your old friends in check at all times. They can get you in trouble or bleed you of a lot of your money." He also told them they have to watch out for people handling their money. He made it clear how important it is to watch the guy(s) who are handling your money. Mark Brunell is a perfect example, $54 million blown over the course of 15 years. It's tragic what is intended to help is ignored by the people who need it most.
Also from the police blotter, University of Georgia Athletic Director Damon Lewis was charged with DUI after a traffic stop last night. His BMW was seen weaving all over the road & police said Lewis had slurred speech & smelled of alcohol. He flunked a field sobriety test & refused a breathalyzer, so he was arrested. The University runs a PSA on the scoreboard during all home games urging fans not to drink & drive & to use a designated driver. The spokesperson on the ads? None other than athletic director Damon Lewis. Oops.
According to College Football Talk's John Taylor, USC running backs coach Todd McNair is no longer employed by the University. His contract, that expired on June 30th, wasn't renewed. So the only coach named in the NCAA's 67-page report regarding Reggie Bush & basketballer O.J. Mayo is no longer a Trojan. Now it's time for A.D. Mike Garrett to go as well.
As I said earlier, Roger Goodell & DeMaurice Smith have had face-to-face negotiations regarding a new collective bargaining agreement. They have stated they are striving for a 6-year pact to run thru the 2016 season. They started with the commissioner's proposed 18-game regular season. The 2 extra games represent 1/8 of a season, but don't look for an addition of just 2 game checks, it's going to have to be more than that. The expanded season would strain the stamina of even the best conditioned athletes, it's just not fair in my eyes. There are too many ex-players who can barely put one foot in front of the other day to day. Others have suffered mightily from head trauma, NFL Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey has such extreme dementia, he hasn't spoken for 4 years. There are over 50 ex-players who suffer from dementia. Until recently the league refused to pay any additional benefits to these players because they claimed dementia could not be linked to brain trauma sustained playing football. I'm a free market guy, but there are certain occupations that can cause workers to suffer or die because of their job & it has to be examined & prevented where possible. Ignoring the results or pretending their employment had nothing to do with their suffering or death is wrong at so many levels. This is where business & their lawyers compound the problem. The NFL is the biggest cash cow in professional sports, something has to be done to protect it's most important employees. I've received a lot of feedback on the Conrad Doble piece & the concussion issue. I plan to incorporate much of this feedback along with my response within a week.
I met former Eagle & Viking quarterback Randall Cunningham outside a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in Las Vegas one Saturday morning about 5AM. He exited his Hummer as I was walking out the door. I smiled & said something like "morning Randall." He walked right past the door over to my truck, extended his hand & said "good morning to you too, hope you have a great day." I said thanks, he pivoted towards the door & as I watched him grab the handle, he looked over his shoulder at me & gave me a smile & a wave. I'd heard from people in Vegas he was one of the nicest citizens living in Sin City. After my 20-second encounter, I agreed with them wholeheartedly. He made Las Vegas his home ever since he played at UNLV in the early 80's & like so many of the city's celebrity inhabitants, he ran errands, went shopping & dined out, just like everybody else. Cunningham owns a tile business out there, was the offensive coordinator at Silverado High School & an ordained minister. Yesterday he faced the toughest test of his life, his 2-year old son, Christian, drowned in the family hot tub. His nanny was watching the children in the pool & said she turned her head for just a couple of minutes before seeing the child floating in the hot tub. Fire rescue arrived but the child couldn't be revived. It's obvious his faith is strong, he'll need it. Losing a child is the worst thing a parent can face, keep the Cunningham family in your thoughts & prayers.
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